The Bitcoin Core development team recently announced a new disclosure policy for critical bugs affecting the software. This decision follows the discovery of several important vulnerabilities in older versions of Bitcoin Core, which could also impact other cryptocurrencies based on Bitcoin‘s code.
Vulnerabilities discovered in Bitcoin Core
The Bitcoin Core team has revealed that it is preparing to make public several vulnerabilities that have affected earlier versions of the software. While details of the less severe bugs are due to be released in the coming weeks, information on the most critical flaws will only be published in the coming months.
This decision follows the discovery of these vulnerabilities, which could potentially allow malicious actors to disrupt the operation of the Bitcoin network. The development team recommends that all users upgrade their node to version 25.0 or higher to protect against these vulnerabilities.
The potential impact on Bitcoin-based cryptocurrencies
The disclosure of these vulnerabilities raises concerns for other cryptocurrencies based on Bitcoin’s code, such as Dogecoin and Litecoin. Indeed, these Bitcoin “forks” also inherit flaws present in the original software, making their networks potentially vulnerable.
Although Dogecoin‘s development is less closely monitored than that of Bitcoin and Litecoin, it’s highly likely that its software still contains these old flaws. The development teams behind these cryptocurrencies will therefore need to be vigilant and work quickly to update their networks to make them more secure.
The need for responsible disclosure
Faced with these critical vulnerabilities, the Bitcoin Core team has chosen to adopt a responsible disclosure policy. Indeed, premature publication of technical details could allow malicious actors to exploit these flaws before they are corrected.
This approach is intended to give the developers of Bitcoin Core, but also of the other cryptocurrencies involved, time to update their software and secure their networks before the information is made public. Responsible disclosure is essential to protect the integrity of the Bitcoin network and the ecosystems that depend on it.
